Tag: Identity

“Midnight Special” (2016) starring Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kristen Dunst, & Adam Driver

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From a local Texas news story, we learn that 8 y.o. Alton Meyer (Jaeden Martell) was been kidnapped by Roy Tomlin (Michael Shannon). Alton (who doesn’t look hurt/scared) wears goggles over his eyes, headphones over his ears, and reads comic books. Roy has a friend, Lucas (Aussie actor Joel Edgerton), who is along on the road trip to Florida. Alton’s adopted father, Pastor Calvin Meyer (actor/playwright Sam Shepard; he passed away in 2017), is the leader of a religious cult (The Ranch). He sends two of his loyal followers, Doak (Bill Camp) and Levi (Scott Haze), to find and bring back the boy. Agent Miller (Paul Sparks) is on the case; The Ranch has raised the suspicion of the FBI in recent mos. (after members purchased many firearms). A young NSA agent, Paul Sevier, (Adam Driver), is flown in to lead the investigation. We will also meet Sarah (Kristen Dunst- understated w/ no make-up), a woman who left the cult.

This film (written/directed) by Jeff Nichols was shot in 40 days on a budget of just $18M. It still has the look (aside from the special effects) and feel of an indie, BUT was produced by Warner Bros. This is the 4th film where Nichols collaborated w/ Shannon (who came up from the Chicago theater world). I was quite impressed w/ Shannon when I saw him in Ramin Bahrani’s indie, 99 Homes (2014), co-starring Andrew Garfield. Before quarantine, I’d sometimes attend free/press screenings of films in/around DC. I’ve also seen him as the villain (Gen. Zod) in Man of Steel (2013) and as a sheriff in Nocturnal Animals (2016). He is tall w/ big/wide-set eyes and projects a lot of intensity.

I heard about this movie on a few podcasts (when it first came out); many critics praised it and referred to Nichols as an auteur (a filmmaker whose individual style and complete control over all elements of production give a film its personal and unique stamp). This film is moody, atmospheric, mysterious, and the characters usually express themselves (w/o saying much). Spielberg is (obviously) a big influence on Nichols, who wrote the screenplay after becoming a father for the first time. I learned that Nichols turned doing directing Aquaman– wow- b/c he prefers to work on his own (small) projects!

If you’re a fan of Driver, you’ll enjoy this movie. He looks youthful, cute in a relatable way (wears glasses and the clothes are a bit nerdy), and projects intelligence and open-mindedness. Yes, this is before he made it big as Kylo Ren. Nichols said that Sevier was influenced by Hopper (Richard Dreyfuss) in Jaws (1975) and Lacombe (Francois Truffaut) in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)- a movie I haven’t seen. Nichols had never seen HBO’s Girls; Driver was recommended to him by his casting director.

We took a character that could’ve been the most clichéd in the whole movie, and maybe still is, but I think it was Adam who started to ask the right questions about that character. […] I remember in one of the first scenes we did, he sat down at this desk and banged his leg on the table and dropped his bookbag. And I remember thinking, “Oh, that’s terrible, should I call cut?” And I realized, “Oh no, he’s being Paul Sevier. That’s how Paul Sevier enters a room.” And it just made it better and I’m quite impressed with Adam Driver. …I think he’s probably gonna be one of the most important actors of our generation.

-Jeff Nichols (from March 22, 2016 interview in Indiewire)

This has a great sense of sci-fi realism… Shannon simply has intensity.

A beautiful, touching story. Nice performances. Fascinating subject.

– Excerpts from IMDB reviews

“Silence” (2016) starring Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, & Liam Neeson

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In 1633, a Portuguese Jesuit priest, Father Ferreira (Liam Neeson), witnesses the torture/death of 5 fellow missionaries. He’s helpless (in the presence of Japanese inquisitors) to assist them in any way. In 1640, at St. Paul’s College in Macau (China), an Italian Jesuit priest, Father Valignano (Ciaran Hinds), receives news that Ferreira renounced his faith (became an apostate) after being tortured. In disbelief, Ferreira’s young Portuguese pupils, Father Sebastião Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Francisco Garupe (Adam Driver), set off to find him. Valignano explains that they “will be the last priests sent to Japan.” Rodrigues and Garupe find a guide, Kichijiro (Yosuke Kobuzuka), an alcoholic fisherman who lost his family (after they failed to renounce Christianity). When they arrive in Japan, they witness first-hand the incredibly difficult lives of those who live as Christians (of course- in secret).

Rodrigues: I feel so tempted. I feel so tempted to despair. I’m afraid. The weight of your silence is terrible. I pray, but I’m lost. Or am I just praying to nothing? Nothing. Because you are not there.

The story is based on historical fact; while keeping the name of the hero’s mentor, author Shusaku Endo changed the nationality of the hero (an Italian named Giuseppe Cara) to Portuguese. Endo gave him the fictional name of Sebastian Rodrigo (translated as Sebastiao Rodrigues). Martin Scorsese and screenwriter Jay Cocks had written an early draft of the film in the 1990s w/ the intention of Scorsese directing it after Gangs of New York (2002). But when Scorsese couldn’t get financing, he decided instead to do The Aviator (2004). When the project was announced, Daniel Day-Lewis was set to play Ferreira, Gael García Bernal was set to play Rodrigues, and Benicio Del Toro was set to play Garupe. They dropped out of the project after MANY development delays.

Interpreter: But everyone knows a tree which flourishes in one kind of earth may decay and die in another. It is the same with the tree of Christianity. The leaves decay here. The buds die.

Garfield took a year off, grew out his head/facial hair, and studied w/ Father James Martin (who is now editor of The National Catholic Review). Garfield (who was raised w/ no religion) and Driver (who was raised in Baptist churches) spent a week at St. Beuno’s, a Jesuit retreat in Wales. They didn’t speak for a week, as that was the rule, so they could get a feel for the spirituality needed for the roles. The most noticeable change is the weight: Garfield lost 40 lbs. (down to 130 lbs), Driver lost 50 lbs (30 lbs. before filming and 20 lbs. during), and Neeson lost 20 lbs. Scorsese noted that there was a nutritionist on location w/ them, but I’m sure it was tough to subsist on such little food. I also learned that Ang Lee advised Scorsese on which locations to use while filming in Taiwan.

This film is quite impressive (esp. the cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto); he worked on some great-looking movies, incl. Frida; Alexander; Brokeback Mountain; Lust, Caution; and State of Play. Silence was tough for me to relate to (until Neeson’s character appeared late in the 2nd act). I think I’ve been agnostic (or skeptical of all religions) since age 7. My family also comes from a faith tradition which does NOT include proselytizing (the act or process of converting or attempting to convert someone to a religion or other belief system).

I’ve watched Driver’s work in the past month; this was on the list (BUT I wasn’t excited to see it). I thought Driver did a great job (as usual); Garupe appears in the 1st hour, then we learn about his fate in the 2nd hour. Scorsese commented that he chose Driver b/c “he looks like he stepped out of a Flemish painting.” Driver said (in several interviews) that one of his “dreams” was to work w/ Scorsese; I’m sure this is true of many actors. At the Telluride Film Festival, the director called the actor “one of the best, if not THE best, of his generation.”

But for all the torments they inflict, the Japanese inquisitors are no generic movie villains. They truly believe that Christianity is incompatible with the Japanese spirit, an alien pathogen imported by arrogant and incurious Europeans. […]

…one of the chief weaknesses of Silence is that so many of the characters in orbit around Rodrigues convey more narrative gravity than he does himself: Asano’s translator, Ogata’s inquisitor, Kubozuka’s fickle Kichijiro, Driver’s Father Garupe, a village elder played by Yoshi Oida. Andrew Garfield is a fine actor, but his calling card has always been a kind of boyish ingenuousness, and here it is tested beyond its limits.

-Christopher Orr (The Atlantic)

In the lead roles, Garfield and Driver (respectively graduates of the Spider-Man and Star Wars franchises) bring mainstream appeal, although wobbly Portuguese accents threaten to undercut the solemnity of their English-language dialogue. With his angular features Driver catches the eye, but it is to Garfield’s leonine locks that Scorsese is drawn, the handsome face of Rodrigues evoking beatific images of Christ in whose likeness the padre presumes to style himself. No wonder he sees a vision of Jesus when gazing at his own reflection in a stream. As for Neeson, he played a Jesuit priest in The Mission, but his late-in-the-day reappearance here is more evocative of his turn as Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace…

-Mark Kermode (The Guardian)

…one of the things that impressed me most about it was the care it devotes to understanding the position of the Japanese authorities. Without condoning their brutality, it lets a major character—Inoue Masashige (Issei Ogata), one of the officials in charge of eradicating Christianity from Japan, and the supervisor of the hero’s suffering—explain the official point-of-view on Western religion. He doesn’t just consider it a corrupting influence on Japanese culture, he doubts that Christianity can truly take root in the “swamp” (his word) of his home country.

-Matt Zoller Seitz (rogertebert.com)

…judged in broadly cinematic terms, “Silence” is not a great movie, despite having been directed by one of the medium’s greatest masters at a point of great maturity… […]

Still, viewed through the narrow prism of films about faith, “Silence” is a remarkable achievement, tackling as it does a number of Big Questions in a medium that, owing to its commercial nature, so often shies away from Christianity altogether. […]

For non-believers in particular, when Neeson resurfaces, his arguments, intended as the cruelest temptation, will instead sound perfectly logical.

– Peter Debruge (Variety.com)

[1] All the acting is exceptional, helped by strong writing and sharply drawn characters. Andrew Garfield is subdued but still splendid, while Adam Driver is powerfully moody. Liam Neeson is on fearless form…

[2] I will talk about the major flaw I had with the picture and it’s during the first 90 mins. I honestly thought 20 of these minutes could have been edited out, because I thought it took the film way too long to move forward and get to the real meat of the story, which is the Priest [Rodrigues] and Father Ferreira having a battle of wills.

…I really loved the fact that it didn’t treat the subject lightly or take on that mentality that you can’t question your faith.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

“The Power of the Dog” (2021) starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, & Kodi Smit-McPhee

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SPOILERS: Don’t read this post if you haven’t seen, or don’t want to know, details from the movie (now streaming on Netflix).

Peter: When my father passed, I wanted nothing more than my mother’s happiness. For what kind of man would I be if I did not help my mother? If I did not save her?

In 1925 in Montana, wealthy rancher, Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch), inspires fear and awe in those around him. His younger brother, George (Jesse Plemons), marries a hard-working widow- Rose Gordon (Kirsten Dunst)- who has a sensitive young adult son, Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Resenting the changes in his home, Phil acts cruel to both Rose and Peter (when he comes home from college in the Summer). Phil tells Rose he thinks she’s a gold-digger. He bullies Peter (effeminate and introverted), and the cowhands follow his lead. After some time, Phil takes Peter under his wing, showing him the ways of the ranch.

George (to Rose): I just want to say… how nice it is not to be alone.

Jane Campion won an original screenplay Oscar for The Piano (1993); she was only the second woman to receive a nomination as Best Director. I haven’t seen that film in many years, but I did like it. I had also previously watched In the Cut (2003) and blogged re: S1 of Campion’s TV show (Top of the Lake). The ranch house and cattle barn (aged to reflect the 1920s) were constructed on location. Filming began in January 2020; due to the COVID pandemic, it was halted until late June. Many critics have pointed out that this film is Campion’s 1st w/ a lead male character. The original book was written in 1967 by an American author (Thomas Savage) who was known for Westerns; he was a closeted gay man who married and had children.

Phil Burbank: Bronco Henry told me that a man was made by patience in the odds against him.

This is a departure for Cumberbatch; I thought he did quite well portraying a macho cowboy (who is hiding his true self). Though Plemons and Dunst are engaged and have two young sons, they have a awkward (yet promising) chemistry in their early scenes. George and Rose are two lonely people who just decided NOT to be alone anymore; I wanted to see more of them (esp. Rose after she becomes alcoholic). Smit-McPhee (an Aussie actor, 25 y.o.) is getting a LOT of notice; he could be nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. He has an other-worldly look and creates an unique character; he and Cumberbatch share a few tense scenes. I thought much more would happen between them (such as violence), BUT this film subverts expectations. What exactly happened btwn the younger Phil and his older/beloved mentor Bronco Henry? Phil idolizes Bronco Henry (20 yrs. after his death); he’s held up as the ideal cowboy/man.

As one critic said, the tone of this movie is like than in The Beguiled. The pacing is V slow, which many viewers (esp. on Twitter) joked about. The score for this film is rather unnerving; I thought it was overmuch in some scenes. Phil whistles a song which Rose can’t play well; she’d gotten a grand piano from George (who wants them to mix more w/ society). Phil then plays the same song on his banjo, taunting Rose further. Though some have called the ending “ambiguous,” I knew Peter weaponized the anthrax (which had infected the dead cow he found on the road), then planned the death of Phil. If you have some time and a LOT of patience, then check this film out.

[1] It’s a slow burn especially in the first half. While I find these characters compelling, I do wish to have more reasons for these characters. I need their history.

[2] Campion lets her camera linger on the outward expressions of inner struggle and the vast landscape, which promises to bury one’s secrets, but doesn’t.

[3] “The Power of the Dog” reinforces what I already knew – male macho posturing and bullying is usually a desperate attempt to disguise feelings of inadequacy and self doubt. Though set in 1923, the film is so clearly about now…

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

“Frances Ha” (2012) starring Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver, & Michael Zegen

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Frances lives in New York, but she doesn’t really have an apartment. Frances is an apprentice for a dance company, but she’s not really a dancer. Frances has a best friend named Sophie, but they aren’t really speaking anymore. Frances throws herself headlong into her dreams, even as their possible reality dwindles. Frances wants so much more than she has but lives her life with unaccountable joy and lightness. —IFC Films Summary

Frances Halliday (Greta Gerwig) is a 27 y.o. “apprentice” dancer in NYC; she doesn’t yet feel like “a real grown-up.” She lives w/ her BFF since college, Sophie (Mickey Sumner), who works as an editor for Random House. They’re both trying to figure out adult life/responsibilities, BUT Sophie seems to be a bit more confident and put-together than Frances. The friends often sleep in the same bed and act like sisters. Frances breaks up w/ her bf, Dan (Michael Esper- primarily a theater actor). Dan had wanted them to live together and get cats (a rather pricy/ugly breed). Then, Sophie wants to move to her “dream apt. in Tribeca” w/ another friend; Frances is saddened that they won’t live together anymore. She makes two new friends, Lev (Adam Driver- before fame) and Benji (Michael Zegen- who co-stars on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), who have space in their Chinatown apt. available. Unlike most of her circle, Frances doesn’t come from money; her parents are middle-class. At a dinner party, Frances heard that Sophie and her bf, Patch (Patrick Heusinger), are moving to Japan for his job! What will happen to their friendship?

Lev: Just because you bought dinner doesn’t mean I’m gonna sleep with you.

Frances: I’m not trying to sleep with you.

Lev: No, I was pretending to be a liberated woman.

***

The way Adam says it is like a song: “Ah-ma-zinnggg.” I always think of that word that way now.

-Noah Baumbach, director

I came across this charming film when I was looking up works w/ Driver; he doesn’t appear much here (but his character is memorable). Driver and Baumbach became very good friends; he is the 2nd male lead in While We’re Young (2014) and the lead in the much-acclaimed Marriage Story (2019). The movie was shot in black and white to “boil it down to its barest bones,” and create an immediate “history” and “a kind of instant nostalgia” (according to Baumbach- who also directed). Frances goes on one date w/ Lev (who is a sculptor), but may have a connection w/ writer Benji (a stand-in for Baumbach w/ his dark hair/eyes, and slim/short build). I was pleasantly surprised to see that romance isn’t at the heart of this story- it’s about female friendship.

Sophie (on her visit to Lev and Benji’s apt): The only people who can afford to be artists in New York are rich.

Charlotte d’Amboise, who plays the head of the dance company (and a former dancer) is a well-known Broadway dancer, w/ such shows as Cats, Chicago, A Chorus Line, and Pippin. Frances’ parents are played by Gerwig’s real-life parents, Gordon and Christine. Gerwig was raised as a Unitarian Universalist; there’s a scene in the Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento (which she grew up attending). Rachel (Grace Gummer) stars as one of the modern dancers; her mother (Meryl Streep) starred as Aunt March in Little Women (2019) directed by Gerwig. The college seen in the movie is Vassar, a liberal arts university in Poughkeepsie, NY (which Baumbach attended).

Frances: I’m poor.

Benji: That’s actually offensive to poor people.

I could relate to this movie in many ways, as I also lived in NYC when I was in my late 20s. I went to grad school at Fordham. Like Frances, I was (usually) broke, since I worked as a substitute teacher (as well as a few smaller jobs in the summers). I lived in two NOT so fabulous apts (though the rents were high- as you’d expect). Unlike Frances, I didn’t have one particular bestie, BUT I did meet many smart/interesting people (some of whom became friends and I stay in touch w/ 10+ yrs later). I didn’t know where my life was going, BUT I think I put myself out of my comfort zone and kept a positive attitude (which Frances does as well).

[1] I felt there was something truly raw and authentic about everything in here, especially the characters’ interactions and dialogs. Apart from that, there is some great music… Lead actress Greta Gerwig scored a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal here and it was very deserved I must say, especially as she also came up with the excellent script.

[2]The feeling of Frances not really knowing where she is going, bouncing from one flat-share to the next (albeit awesome flats) is very well done and Gerwig delivers it very well, somehow managing to get through all the traps of the genre.

[3] I’m not saying you should live your life like her or take advice from the movie. But it is very refreshing to see something, that is not very obvious. I couldn’t tell where the movie was going, but it was interesting to find out. And while some might find this boring, others will rejoice.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

“Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker” (2019) starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher, & Mark Hamill

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While the First Order continues to ravage the galaxy, Rey (Daisy Ridley) finalizes her training as a Jedi. But danger suddenly rises from the ashes as the evil Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) mysteriously returns from the dead. While working with Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) to fulfill a new mission, Rey will NOT only face Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) again, but will finally discover the truth about her parents. She’ll also learn a deadly secret that could determine her future and the fate of the ultimate final showdown to come.

Luke Skywalker: [preventing Rey from throwing her lightsaber into the fire] A Jedi’s weapon deserves more respect.

I (finally) saw this movie 2 wks ago; I saw the previous 2 sequel films in the theater (A Force Awakens and The Last Jedi). Wow, was it a disappointment; I’m sure you’ve heard that before! Now, I’m NOT a huge Star Wars fan, but I do have some interest in it. Director J.J. Abrams undoes a LOT of what Rian Johnson did in the previous film. The first thing I noticed was how unfunny it was; the lighter moments come off as too obvious. A few of the actors are phoning it in; others are doing the best they can (w/ the material that has been given to them). They way that Gen. Leia Organa’s scenes were put together come off as awkward (esp. on the re-watch); Carrie Fisher passed away before this movie was made. Some viewers felt like Leia’s death and her funeral weren’t handled well either.

[through the Force]

Rey: I see through the cracks in your mask. You’re haunted. You can’t stop seeing what you did to your father.

Kylo Ren: Do you still count the days since your parents left? Such pain in you. Such anger. I don’t wanna have to kill you. I’m going to find you and I’m going to turn you to the Dark Side. When I offer you my hand again… you’ll take it.

Rey: We’ll see.

We still have the “force time calls” (LOL- love that term) btwn Rey and Kylo Ren; they kept that from the last film. As w/ the last movie, there is good chemistry between Ridley and Driver. I also thought Ridley and Boyega worked well together before; however, Finn doesn’t have as much to do here. Poe has even less of a role than Finn; from interviews w/ Isaac I could tell he wasn’t enthusiastic about this movie. And what about Finn’s love interest, Rose (Kelly Marie Tran)? If you’re NOT paying attention, you’ll miss her (few/short) scenes at he Rebel base. Rose gets a pat on the back from Finn (no kiss here); more importantly, she doesn’t go on any adventures (ugh)! Some viewers assumed that Finn was in love w/ Rey; others commented that he wanted to talk to her re: being “force-sensitive” (which I also thought).

Finn: The Force. The Force brought me here. It brought me to Rey. And Poe.

Jannah: You say that like you’re sure it’s real.

Finn: It’s real. I wasn’t sure then… but I am now.

We get to see some new planets and aliens (some cute/some weird), BUT we don’t spend much time on anything! I watched some YouTube reviews and podcasts re: this movie; several used the term “fetch quest” (as characters are going from place to place in search of a “MacGuffin” which drives the action). It was fun to see Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) again; he is one of the few highlights. As for the action itself, I didn’t have any issues w/ it (though Rey’s lightsaber cutting off the wing of Kylo’s TIE fighter was unexpected). It looks like Rey can also heal w/ her touch; I don’t think this was seen in previous films w/ other Jedi. Perhaps this was explained somewhere else, BUT the casual Star Wars viewer won’t know that.

Finn: Why are you helping us?

Gen. Hux: I don’t care if you win. I need Kylo Ren to lose.

There are more new characters to meet, BUT they aren’t V developed. We now have the imposing/eldelry Gen. Pryde (Richard E. Grant); I assumed that Gen. Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) would have more to do. When they travel to the planet Kijimi, we meet Zorii Bliss (Keri Russell- mostly hidden under a big helmet), an ex-gf of Poe. A tiny alien droid expert, Babu Frik (voiced by Shirley Henderson), works on C-3PO (Anthony Daniels). One critic compared Kijimi to “a Victorian X-mas village”- LOL! Finn is surprised/happy to learn that Jannah (Naomie Ackie- who I liked) and her people are also former First Order stormtroopers (who escaped to the planet of Kef Bir).

Emperor Palpatine: Long have I waited, for my grandchild to come home! I never wanted you dead. I wanted you here, Empress Palpatine.

The stakes aren’t that high, as several critics commented. In one (tense) scene, it looks like Chewbacca (Joonas Suatamo), was killed on a transport ship! Rey blames herself; she has been fighting Kylo for power to control the transport. But soon after, we see Chewie merely being held as a prisoner. Zorii somehow has a token that can help Poe and his friends avoid the First Order patrols around her planet. This part reminded at least one viewer of a video game (ugh).

We (finally) learn re: Rey’s true parentage- she’s a Palpatine (which surprised MANY viewers)! It turns out that her parents weren’t “nobodies”- they were hiding from the Emperor. FYI: Rey’s mom is played by Jodie Comer (who was recently in The Last Duel). Many commented that Palpatine looked/sounded like a cartoonish villain; they weren’t impressed w/ his planet or his crowd of Sith (?) followers. Also, the evil version of Rey just looked like bad CGI (and NOT scary at all). As for the kiss between Rey and Ben Solo (after Kylo left the Dark Side), then Ben’s instant death, some audiences laughed (which wasn’t what the filmmakers intended)! The editing comes across as slap-dash; Disney wanted it released in time for the 2019 holiday season. I could go on, BUT I won’t… b/c I’ve spent enough time already.

[1] The first critical error the film makes is by telling us that a secret message has caused a stir in the galaxy: the Emperor is alive. You know, instead of a scroll, perhaps this event — probably the most important thing that’s happened in all three of these post Return of the Jedi films, could have been shown to us so we could grasp just how mindblowing it is. Nope. It’s in words on the screen. The dead speak! This is lazy filmmaking.

It turns out that everything evil in the past few films has come from Palpatine, including Snoke who is just a clone.

[2] With so little time to breathe in the story, the film feels far too rushed which made it very difficult to digest the more convoluted parts of the story. There is also too much going on so the film feels very cramped by the final act, and also too many characters.

[3] The film is running on double time and the speed seems to be used to hide from story questions. Everybody is rushing. History is being revised. No one is throwing away a light saber in this one. Finn never actually say the thing to Rey. It is emotionally safe. I thought they would keep Carrie Fisher in the first act, but they dragged her out there for too long. I won’t say that it’s disrespectful, but it is a little awkward. Overall, this one tries to quickly wrap up the story in a fan friendly way and the last person turns out the lights.

[4] If you want lightsabers and space battles then you get it here. However if you put aside the technical feat, it is very much hollow. I struggled to care about anyone in the film; the dialogue was often clunky, and there was almost nothing natural or organic in there. The writing doesn’t help itself by doing things that seem fan-service at best, and cynical at worst.

[5] This episode boiled down to everybody chasing Rey. Fin was chasing her, Poe was chasing her, Kylo Ren was chasing her, and Palpatine was chasing her. Either someone wanted to help Rey as she wandered away lone wolfing it or someone wanted to convert Rey to the Dark Side–in any case Rey was always being chased. […]

We found that Rey was the most powerful being to ever grace the Star Wars franchise. Master Yoda hadn’t reached the power level of Rey and he lived 800 years! Which is weird because she was exhibiting amazing power though she wasn’t yet a Jedi. Which makes me realize I have no idea what a Jedi is. I thought once she knew how to use the force she was a Jedi, but apparently she was not.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews